


Pretty as a Picture

by fraufi666



Category: Political RPF - Australian 20th-21st c.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Politics, Auctions, Authority Figures, Charity Auctions, Explicit Language, F/F, Jealousy, Life Drawing, Nudity, Politics, Rivalry, Romance, Self Confidence Issues, loss of power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraufi666/pseuds/fraufi666
Summary: Lucy Turnbull has always been a powerful figure, proud of being a strong woman alongside her equally formidable husband. Yet, since the Shorten government has come into play, her doubts grow, as Chloe Shorten seems to impress the public in a way that she never could. When the Turnbulls decide to gate crash an event that the first lady had organised, Lucy quickly realises that there might be more to her jealousy towards her.
Relationships: Lucy Turnbull/Chloe Shorten
Kudos: 3





	Pretty as a Picture

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story is an AU. Although I have used real political figures this is entirely a work of fiction. All romantic encounters, events and insinuations are from my imagination. I mean no disrespect to any of the people depicted. I am also in no way politically biased.

She never really cared for the Shortens, but Lucy Turnbull knew that her and her husband had to avoid looking irrelevant. It still hurt that they were no longer in power, and it was even more of a stab to the heart since Labor had won the election by a landslide. The Shortens were younger, attractive, more progressive in comparison to the Turnbulls. Chloe in particular was a darling to the left, something that Lucy could only dream of being for the right. She regarded that woman with disdain, but there was some jealousy there too. What did she have that Lucy lacked? She was the former mayor of Sydney, for goodness sakes. What in the world made this trade unionist’s wife so special? Thinking about her always made her feel uncomfortable, and she tried to ignore those thoughts whenever they came to her consciousness.

The last thing she wanted, of course, was to see a Tweet that Chloe Shorten had shared, advertising an event that was to be held tonight. A Charity Auction to be held at the Incinerator Gallery in Maribyrnong, Melbourne.* She sighed, almost about to scroll past it when her husband came in, panting in exhaustion.

“God, I hate those stupid young lefties.” Malcolm groaned, wiping his face with a handkerchief. “Took me forever to get that spray-painted penis off our fence. What possesses these people to waste time like this? They need to leave us in peace, we’re not in power anymore.” His eyes rested upon Lucy’s laptop screen and were filled with instant excitement when seeing the first lady’s event. “What’s this Lucy?”

“Oh, just some Charity Gala thing at Melbourne.” Lucy dismissed. She did not want to be spending too much time thinking of those people who took their position of power away from them.

Malcolm finished patting away the last of his sweat from his face. “We have to go.” He said determinedly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, dear. We’d have to book flights at such short notice. Besides, we’re not invited.”

“All the more reason for us to go.” Malcolm pushed, clearly undeterred “Lucy, this is our moment to finally stay relevant. I know Bill has been gloating from getting that position he stole from me, but now is our chance to improve our image. We can’t stay stuck indoors forever.”

Lucy sighed. Her husband did have a point. Perhaps if they showed up at such an event, they could get some good press. Besides, anything was better than staying cooped up in Point Piper all the time. “Okay, Malcolm.” She gave in. “But you have to work out how to book flights while I pack.”

“Leave it to me. I have a good friend in Qantas Airlines who can squeeze us in.” Malcolm responded with the utmost confidence. Immediately he went straight to his study to turn on his computer, while Lucy made her way to the master bedroom. She meticulously selected the best outfits that her and her husband wore, knowing that a good impression was crucial. If only she knew how to blow-dry her hair to look really immaculate. Sighing, she took out her GHD straightener. Better than nothing.

~

After much fussing around, the Turnbulls finally arrived at the Essendon Fields Airport. The sun was setting and the auction was on in just over an hour. Lucy stared at her watch, anxious for the two of them to get a taxi. There was nothing more humiliating than travelling like a regular citizen. But given the little time they had, they had to settle for such conditions. When a free taxi finally arrived, the two got in and told the driver exactly where to go. The driver did as he was told, keeping his eyes on the road. Not once did he acknowledge that he recognised them. Lucy felt a mix of both relief and disappointment. Was this what being irrelevant led to? If they were not being hounded by the press or having their property vandalised, they were having to deal with being ignored. While she was trying to work out which situation was worse, the taxi driver had announced that they had arrived at their destination. Malcolm paid the driver and then they were walking up to the entrance of the Incinerator Gallery. Lucy looked down at the bottle of wine Malcolm was holding in his hands from their last-minute trip to _Dan Murphy’s_ on the way.

“Surely they deserve something better than that, Mal.” She scolded.  
  
“They won’t know.” Malcolm said, peeling off the price that read twelve dollars and throwing it into the bushes. “It’s the thought that counts.”

Fortunately the gallery was crowded, so the couple were able to slip in without too many people noticing them. They seemed more focussed on the artwork that they barely paid attention to them. Both Malcolm and Lucy removed their jackets, placing them on a hook in the cloakroom. As soon as they left the cloakroom, a family came in, carelessly leaving the door open for their children to race in. The cold night wind caused a draught to blow into the room and unbeknownst to Lucy and Malcolm, their two coats, both tailor-made and from top-end shops in Sydney, fell into a precariously placed box marked: Auction Donations.

This night was going to turn out very differently to what either of them planned.

Lucy and Malcolm stood in a corner, trying not to draw attention to themselves as they looked at the art on display. But that privacy was short-lived, as soon as they heard a loud voice behind them.

“Malcolm! Lucy! You didn’t tell me you were coming.” Chloe cried in surprise, giving each one a quick embrace. Bill did the same, although he hesitated before giving a hug to Malcolm.

“Billy-Boy. Long time no see.” Malcolm said with a wink. He was glad to finally have an opportunity to embarrass the prime minister in public. “This is for you.” He added, giving him a bottle of wine.

Quickly Bill took the bottle from him. “Malcolm,” He said through gritted teeth, hiding his anxiety with a strained smile “Not here.”

The former prime minister merely smiled in response, although their wives both exchanged confused glances. Neither of them was aware of what went on between the two men, all those years ago in the House of Representatives.

“Seriously though, what made you come along?” Chloe asked, dispelling the tension between the two men.  
  
“Why, we had business in Melbourne and heard about this little event you organised. We figured as we were in the area, why not?” Malcolm replied effortlessly with a wink, his eyes twinkling. Lucy felt slightly inadequate as he did so, but as she took a proper look at Chloe, she could understand her husband’s behaviour.

She wore a lemon yellow dress, showing off her lightly tanned shoulders. The dress was tightly fitted, drawing emphasis to her curves. She was so distracted that she did not even realise that the first lady was looking directly at her.

“You look like a lemon drop.” Lucy said without thinking. As soon as she noticed Chloe looking back at her, she felt her cheeks turn red. “The colour looks sensational,” She added quickly, “You must tell me where you got this dress.”

Chloe cheered instantly at this statement, “Oh this old thing?” She laughed modestly, “Just from Vinnies. It only cost me like, fifteen dollars. I’ll take you there sometime!”

As soon as Chloe said this, Lucy felt a slight tinge of panic. She already knew about Chloe’s penchant for cheap jewellery, but Vinnies? The second-hand shop? She would not be caught dead shopping there. But seeing the beautiful, pearly white smile before her, she felt obligated to go along with it.  
  
“I would _love_ to.” Lucy lied, hoping that Chloe would instantly forget this offer. “Once I have the time.”

“Oh, excuse us for a minute.” Bill said suddenly, “The auction is about to start. We’ll catch up later.” And with that, he took Chloe by the hand and they walked over to where the items were being presented. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. That was close, perhaps a little too close for her liking. The older couple went over to watch the auction, making sure they were in the least crowded area so that they had a good view of everything.  
  
Two people, dressed in black with white gloves brought out what looked like an abstract painting.

“Lot 1: Picasso replica. Starting bid at one twenty.”

Lucy turned to Malcolm. “Is it really worth us being here? This event looks quite dull, in all honestly.”

“One fifty!” the former prime minister shouted, putting his hand up. Lucy glared at him.

“Is that the final bid?” The auctioneer asked. Barely anyone offered to bid any higher, so the volunteers brought along the painting to give to Malcolm.  
  
“What are you doing?” She asked in a hushed whisper, “You don’t even _like_ Picasso. You’ve always said that you can draw better than he can.”

“Do you recall how I mentioned we had a chance to improve our image?” Malcolm asked, keeping an ear out for other bids, “If we outbid everyone for these items, we’ll be seen as humanitarians, something that the left has always accused us of being the opposite. We’ll finally be seen for doing something charitable!”

“You’re being ridiculous.” Muttered Lucy. Yet, knowing her husband, there was definitely a method to his madness. She took a glass of wine offered to her by one of the volunteers and continued to watch the auction. The wine was nothing great compared to what the Turnbulls had in their cellar, but she needed something to get her through with the monotony of this evening.

A few glasses of wine later, Lucy could have sworn that the alcohol was playing tricks on her eyes. The two volunteers drew out a mannequin wearing a man’s jacket that looked identical to the one that Malcolm had left in the cloakroom. There were very few people in the world that could afford such clothing.

“Mal, isn’t that your overcoat?” Lucy asked; nudging Malcolm, as he was too busy staring at the painting he just bought.

“Lot number 14: Man’s jacket. Starting bid at eighty.” The auctioneer called.

“Wait a minute…that _is_ mine!” Malcolm gasped, almost tipping over the glass of wine he was holding. “We must get it back!

Immediately, the two raced towards the front, pushing through the crowd. A few angry glares and mutterings were shot back at them, but in a time like this, they could not care less. Lucy saw Chloe sitting at the front and waved towards her, hoping she could catch her eye. But despite her best efforts, the auctioneer was the one who noticed her furious wave.

“Eighty from the lady at the front.”

“No no!” Lucy muttered, trying to dismiss with a wave of the hand. The auctioneer completely ignored her. She turned to Malcolm in desperation, “What do we do?” She whispered.

“One hundred and fifty!” Another voice shouted.

“We have to outbid them!” Malcolm muttered before shouting his bid, “Two hundred and fifty!”

There was a whisper of voices amongst the crowd as people were trying to think of a higher price.  
  
“Three hundred and fifty!”

“Four hundred and fifty!” Another voice cried.  
  
“There is no way I paid that much for that jacket.” Malcolm muttered under his breath in disbelief.

The auctioneer turned to one of the volunteers who were on the phone who signalled another bid. “That’s six hundred from the gentleman on the phone.” He announced.

“One thousand!” Lucy shouted, hoping the enormous price hike would scare the next person off from purchasing the jacket.  
  
“Two thousand!” A woman behind her cried. Lucy immediately recognised her to be one of the people who glared at the Turnbulls as they pushed their way to the front. Whatever she was doing was clearly personal.

“Three thousand!” Lucy shouted. The other woman looked like she was about to faint. Nevertheless, she continued to bid.

“Four thousand!”

“Five thousand!” Someone else yelled to the far right of the gallery.  
  
The auctioneer turned to the volunteer on the phone, “And we have just received a bid for ten thousand on the phone. My, this jacket sure is getting a lot of bids.” He remarked.

“Fifteen thousand!” An elderly man offered, giving a dirty glare at the Turnbulls.  
  
Lucy sighed. Both of them exchanged a worried glance, before the former first lady finally gave a shout that stopped everyone in their tracks.  
  
“Twenty thousand!”

“Is the final bid?” The auctioneer asked, noticing how much less animated the audience had become once a higher price was announced. They all stayed silent, knowing that the price was too steep for just a man’s jacket.  
  
“Sold, to the lady at the front!” The auctioneer announced finally. One of the volunteers wearily gave Lucy the jacket.

“It might be wise if we just go home now.” Lucy said to Malcolm quietly, handing him back his jacket, “We’ve spent so much money already.”

“Not to worry.” Malcolm responded, feeling a rush of confidence after yet another win, “We can just sell Alex’s Nintendo collection on Gum Tree to make up for the losses. It would be worth a fortune. But Lucy, we need to keep up a good impression if we want people to take us seriously. I think we should buy at least one more item.”

Lucy sighed, noticing her own coat was the next item to be auctioned. “Alright, you can try and get my coat back. But I’ve had quite enough.”  
  


45,000 dollars later and the auction was finally over. Lucy was almost suffocating in her own coat that was finally given back to her, but she could not risk taking it off and losing it again. The last thing she wanted was for some middle-class citizen from Maribyrnong to be wearing it. As the Turnbulls quickly went to pay, Chloe had rushed over to the two of them.

“Thank you so much for that generous donation.” She said, although she was not talking to Malcolm, who was busy scribbling in his chequebook. Lucy felt her heart flutter as the younger woman gently touched her on the arm, “Lucy, I had no idea you were so into philanthropy.”

Lucy gave a bit of an awkward laugh, “Oh, it’s not a big deal.” She lied, clearly exhausted by the mere thought of departing away from so much money.

Chloe smiled, taking Lucy’s response as modesty “It means a lot to us. I am so glad to see so much money going to a good cause. Homelessness is such a big problem here in Melbourne and to see someone so powerful eagerly providing something to these people gives me hope.” To Lucy’s surprise, the first lady grabbed hold of both of her hands, staring directly at her in the eye. The older woman felt her mouth turn dry at the sight of the sparkling blue eyes that gazed at her in admiration. The hands held onto her own tightly, and she was tongue-tied for the moment.

“Please Lucy, I would really love it if you came to Vinnies with me tomorrow. It would be good for you to see where all the money is going.” Chloe pleaded.

Lucy cleared her throat, gingerly moving her hands away from Chloe’s grasp, “Certainly.” She said, plastering the fakest smile she could manage, although the sides of her mouth were aching in pain, “I would _love_ to.”

~

That evening, the Turnbulls were much too exhausted to go back to Sydney and had booked to stay at a hotel. Lucy was brushing her teeth in the bathroom as Malcolm began to get dressed for bed.

“I think I will have to see Bill tomorrow.” Malcolm said, buttoning the shirt of his silk pyjamas, “He is a huge fan of _Murder She Wrote_ , and seeing as my aunt is starring in _Driving Miss Daisy_ , I agreed to take him to see her. What are your plans?”

After rinsing her mouth, Lucy stared at her reflection in the mirror, looking at the lines on her face, framed by the iron-straight blonde hair. How did the first lady stay looking so youthful? She could not forget the sight of Chloe as she walked around in that yellow, figure-hugging dress. Chloe was the epitome of classic feminine beauty, and Lucy, well...she was just Lucy. Although she despised fashion slaves and chose to dress for herself, to have a unique look, she admired how effortlessly graceful Chloe was.

“Lucy?”

The older woman quickly turned away from the mirror, “Did you say something dear?”

“I said I might have to stay in Melbourne for a while, because Bill wants to see _Driving Miss Daisy_. What do you have planned?”

“Oh, Chloe wants to show me around some charity thing.” Lucy said dismissively, walking over to the bedroom where she climbed into the bed alongside her husband, “I don’t really see the point, but given our crazy bid for our own jackets, she thinks I’m some kind of philanthropist.”

“That’s politics.” Malcolm said calmly, closing his eyes, his hands resting over the blanket, “You have to do things you don’t enjoy doing and often say things you don’t believe in. Remember when I had to do the Vinnies CEO Sleepout?”*

“Yes, I remember,” Lucy grumbled, annoyed that her husband had to make the discussion about himself. In times like these, she did not really enjoy turning to her husband for reassurance, “Goodnight Mal.”

“Goodnight Lucy.” Malcolm replied, going to sleep not long after. Lucy took a little longer to fall asleep as she tried to forget the image of Chloe holding her hands as she beamed at her for agreeing to visit Vinnies. She was certainly not looking forward to the next day.  
  
~  
  


Lucy stood on the crowded tram, gingerly clasping onto one of the bright green tram handles. She regretted ever agreeing to coming along. Malcolm never should have pushed her to go to this damn auction in the first place! Once she got home, she was sure to give him a serving. Chloe stood next to her, not at all bothered by the suffocating atmosphere of public transport. “I figured it would be better for the environment if we are not driving.” Chloe explained, sensing Lucy’s discomfort. “Besides, the Vinnies is not that far away. It’s a pretty comfortable ride-“

All of a sudden, the tram took a sharp turn, causing the first lady to slip, pinning Lucy directly against the windows. Lucy could feel the other woman’s warm body against hers and for a minute she almost forgot where she was. Her heart was racing and she could not breathe, for all she could smell was Chloe’s intoxicating perfume. She could not recall ever being this close to another woman before.  
  
“Oops, so sorry.” Chloe said, stepping back from Lucy at a respectable distance. “Yarra Trams have the tendency to do that.” As soon as Chloe turned to look outside the window to see how far away they were, Lucy took an asthma pump from her handbag. She put the pump near her mouth, inhaling a few times before Chloe turned to face her again.

“We’re here already!” Chloe cried with excitement, taking hold of Lucy’s arm, “Come on!” Lucy struggled to chase after her. How in the world was the first lady able to run in heels? She could not keep up with the other woman’s girlish excitement. Ahead of them was just a typical op shop, a place she always avoided whenever she went clothes shopping. Yet Chloe raced into the store, as if it were Tiffany & Co. having a closing down sale. Lucy reluctantly followed her closely behind.

As soon as they got into the store, Chloe went straight for the section of women’s clothes. “You must try this!” She said, handing a top to her, “Oh and this…and this!” Lucy’s hands were soon filled with a small pile of clothes. She wrinkled her nose at them. There was no way in hell she was going to wear second-hand garments. Chloe squealed with delight as she saw a bright red dress on the mannequin nearby.

“I _must_ wear this!” She cried, getting distracted. One of the volunteers immediately took the dress down for her, “It would be perfect for one of Bill’s campaigns.” As she walked to the change room, she called out to Lucy “Don’t forget to try some of those garments on too!”

Lucy stood awkwardly in one spot, unsure as to what to do with all these clothes. None of them appealed to her, and she felt disgusting thinking about wearing clothes that someone else had already worn and sweated in. As she was trying to decide, Chloe gave out a shout.

“Lucy, please be a dear and help me get this zip up.”

Glad to finally be rid of trying on the clothes, she placed them on the nearest clothing rack and went over to the change rooms to assist the first lady. Chloe opened the curtain, beckoning her to come inside. Lucy awkwardly stepped into the small space with her. The dress did look nice, although the zip looked to be a pain to zip up. Gently, Lucy helped move the fine blonde strands away from the passage of the zip. As she was about to move the zip upwards, she looked at the way the dress seemed to pinch the woman’s waist. Lucy bit her lip wondering why it felt so suffocatingly warm in the change room all of a sudden. Quickly, she helped zip up the dress and then left the change room.  
  
“Not so fast!” Chloe called, sensing the other woman’s departure “I want you to tell me how I look.”

_You already know how you look_. Lucy thought to herself in jealousy. _As pretty as a picture. Just take a look into one of the mirrors and see for yourself._

“Come on, Lucy, I need your advice.” Chloe pressed, her voice as sweet as honey, “You were after all first lady. It would mean so much to me.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. How in the world did the prime minister’s wife get to be so manipulative? Nevertheless, she found herself turning around to look at her.

Chloe was beaming at her. The dress had a low neckline, which seemed to sneakily cut just a small opening where her cleavage would be. Lucy was glad that the first lady was not leaning over, although she found her eyes being drawn towards that area. It was tight, like the dress from last night although had short sleeves that covered her shoulders modestly. Lucy did not know what to say.

“It’s very…red.” The former first lady managed to sputter.

“Oh, is it too much?” Chloe asked, turning around so Lucy could see the dress from all angles. “Maybe I won’t bother with this one. It was unlike this woman to be self-conscious and Lucy was taken aback by her sudden change of heart. “I’ll put it back.”

Lucy immediately felt guilty as the younger woman put the dress back on the clothing rack. But Chloe did not seem to be too affected, for something else managed to catch her attention.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” She said excitedly, eyes shining.

She took Lucy by the arm, pulling her along into the sorting room where the volunteers were working. Lucy saw a young man, hard at work with his olive arms folding up one of the shirts that was to be sold. He seemed so energetic, so full of life. Judging by his appearance, Lucy was surprised to see what seemed to be a refugee so full of life.

“Lucy this is Ahmad he is-“

“Ah, how - are - you - today?” Lucy asked, speaking as slowly as possible for the young man to understand. “How - long - have - you - lived - in - Australia? Very - hard - work. Good - job!”

Ahmad chuckled, much to Lucy’s surprise, “Well, on the contrary Lucy,” He started, speaking in perfect English, “I studied literary studies as part of my doctorate before coming to Australia.” He took her hand and shook it, the older woman pale in horror at making such a terrible mistake.  
  
“As I was about to say, Ahmad is the manager of this Vinnies store.” Chloe said, putting a hand on his shoulder, as if he were an old friend, “He also oversees the operations of the soup vans in Footscray. I'll take you there later."

“I am so sorry,” Lucy quickly tried to apologise, but Ahmad just shook his head, about to laugh again.

“No need to worry, Lucy.” He was clearly trying not to laugh, “Nice to meet you.”

After that slip-up, Lucy was certain that she would never set foot in another Vinnies store again. She tried not to think too much about her mistake, but the humiliation was so great, it was impossible to think of anything else. Once they had left the store, Lucy was relieved to be away from it. The two women then spend over forty minutes catching public transport, just to get to Footscray.

The public transportation is so much better in Sydney. Lucy realised, as they waited outside for what took over twenty minutes. The trip on the tram and bus was fortunately more relaxing, since there were considerably fewer people compared to earlier on in the morning. Lucy sat one seat away from Chloe, avoiding eye contact with her and pretending to be fascinated by the Melbourne skyline.

Once they had arrived in Footscray, Lucy was already wishing that she could go back to Point Piper. Having to deal with paparazzi outside Point Piper was so much more bearable than this! Between the old buildings covered with graffiti and the swarm of young people smoking on the steps of the train station, she would not think of any place worse.

“Almost there now.” Chloe reassured her, still full of energy as she powered on while Lucy wearily staggered after her. They finally approached a long tent, in which a slightly overweight female volunteer stood, stirring soup in a portable stove. Chloe waved to the volunteer, who was more than happy to see her. “So good you have come. We need all the helping hands we can get.” The volunteer called out, “Get an apron on and some gloves. There’s going to be a lot of people coming today.”

“Wait, we’re not volunteers-“ Lucy started to say, but then as she saw Chloe donning on one of the aprons and tying up her hair, she realised that she had been mistaken. To her horror, she had to also stir soup in another stove as well. There were already two other stoves ready to be used. She was about to make up an excuse and go back to the hotel, when she remembered Chloe’s voice in her head, so full of hope and cheer.

_Lucy, I had no idea you were so into philanthropy._

She did not know why this voice was having such a strong influence on her, but she found herself putting on an apron as well and gloves to begin serving soup. There was a line of well over a hundred homeless people, waiting patiently to be served. Lucy grinned politely to each one in turn, giving them their soup with a superficial “Here you go, have a good day.”

At one point while she was serving soup, Chloe raced up to her, holding her phone to the two of them,

“Smile!”

Although baffled, the older woman managed to smile in time before she took the picture. While this impromptu selfie slightly irritated her, she knew that it would all count for good publicity. Malcolm better thank me later. She thought darkly.   
  


Everything seemed to be falling into place, that is, until a man who looked roughly in his late 20s, approached Lucy. He was unshaven, his dirty blond hair in dreadlocks. There were at least six piercings on his ears, as well as a septum piercing.  
  
“Oh boy, hot soup from a hot mama.” He hooted, taking the soup from Lucy. The older woman looked slightly embarrassed, unsure as to how to take his words. _He’s just a young man._ She told herself. _Just ignore him._

“Hey I’m talking to you, MILF. I gave you a compliment. Why aren’t you saying anything?” He asked, his voice rising in anger. Lucy gasped as the man grabbed hold of her cheek with his free hand, his green eyes shining manically. She could smell the strong stench of cigarettes. This was much worse than what happened on the tram by far “So…if you really want to be charitable to me, why don’t you give me a little something.” He moved his hand downwards, and to her horror, traced it over her breast.

In normal circumstances, Lucy would be slapping the man’s hand. But in this case, she did not want to leave a bad impression on the Vinnies organisation, and was also terrified of Chloe’s reaction if she did something wrong. Shakily, she merely pointed at the soup in his hand, “Enjoy your soup.” She said, her voice strained. Slowly, she moved away from the man’s grasp, to which he glared at her.  
  
“Fucking bitch thinks she’s too good for us. Take your disgusting soup!” He shouted, throwing the bowl at Lucy. She yelped as the soup went all over her dress, although fortunately was not hot enough to scald her.  
  
Immediately, Chloe dropped the ladle she was holding and raced up to Lucy. “Oh my god, I am so sorry.” She said apologetically. “That guy comes here everyday. He’s not really homeless, just likes to hit on volunteers out of boredom and to get a free meal. She turned to the volunteer. “Glenys, I’m very sorry. That rude man threw soup all over my friend. I need to take her home and get her changed. Will you be able to hold the fort for a while?”

“Do what you need to do.” Glenys said kindly, “A few of the girls at the Sunshine store have agreed to help, I’ll give them a call.”

“Thank you, you’re a sweetheart!” Chloe cried gratefully, taking hold of Lucy’s arm. Lucy was about to make an excuse to call a taxi and go home. She did not want to be wandering around on public transport covered in soup.

“Don’t worry about the bus, we’ll get a taxi.” Chloe said, reading her mind. The first lady rang up the taxi and in no time, there was one driving them all the way back to Moonee Ponds. Chloe insisted on paying for the fare, much to Lucy’s disappointment. She felt incredibly guilty for even being there, and yet Chloe was doing all she could to help.

“I’m sorry.” Lucy muttered, following her back to the Shorten household.

“It’s fine. Honestly, I should have known better than to have taken you there. You did not deserve that.” Chloe responded, regret in her voice as she unlocked the door, “Men can be such pigs.”  
  
  
They had come inside to a warm house, the fireplace on already. Bill must have put it on before he left to see Malcolm. Chloe gave a bag of clothes to Lucy, to in her faint horror, realised they were the clothes that she thought she had left behind at Vinnies.

“Come on, change into those.” Chloe urged. “You’re not getting out of this a second time. You can get changed in my room. Just go down the hall and turn right.”

Lucy did not want to argue with her. Chloe was a lot more clued-on than she had thought. Besides, she needed to wear something, and on second glance the clothing did not look too terrible. Provided she cut off the price tags, nobody would really know that they were second hand.

As she was about to turn and head towards the bedroom, she noticed a charcoal drawing of a nude hanging over the mantelpiece.

“What is this?” Lucy asked, pointing at the drawing.

“I sometimes dabble in art in my spare time.” Chloe explained modestly, “I’m not exactly artistically talented, but I do enjoy it.”

“I see.” Lucy responded, trying not to stare at the drawing too long. A feeling stirred deep within her, and she tried her best to push it out of her mind. “I’ll be back soon.” She added, making her way to the bedroom.

Lucy finally removed the dress, shaking her head at all of the damage that the young man had caused. She removed her tights too, disappointed that some of the soup had gotten onto them as well. Hopefully the Shortens’ washing machine would work wonders.

As soon as she had taken off the tights, wearing nothing but her bra and panties, the door immediately flung open. Completely caught unawares, she tried to cover herself up with her hands, but it was no use.

Chloe stood before her, gazing at her from head to toe. Lucy blushed, embarrassed to have been caught in such a state of undress. But Chloe did not seem too affected by it.

“Don't be shy. You have a nice body, Lucy.” Chloe remarked quietly, her eyes studying her figure. “Please, let me draw you.”

“Oh I couldn’t possibly model.” Lucy said, trying to avoid the younger woman’s eyes. If anyone’s body could be used for life drawing, it would have to be Chloe’s.

Immediately, a hand touched her own, as if to pull her away from the doubts in her mind. She looked up into the beautiful blue eyes that seemed to gaze into her own with awe. “Let me…Please. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Although she was not so susceptible to persuasion, the first lady had a power that seemed intoxicating. She shyly followed her back to the lounge, where Chloe instructed she lie on the couch. Lucy did as she was told.

“Take off the rest of your clothes.” Chloe insisted. “They are too much of a distraction.”

Lucy awkwardly unclasped her bra, taking it off and putting it down on the side of the couch. She hesitated slightly before finally removing her panties. She was completely naked, save for the pair of glasses she always wore.

“That’s better.” Chloe said with a smile, picking up a sketchbook from the coffee table. She sat down on the facing chair, ready to sketch her. But she paused. Something was not quite right.

“Your posture is too stiff.” Chloe commented. “You need to relax more. Just lift up your arm and tuck your hand behind your head.”

Lucy’s heart was racing. She struggled to pose in a way that Chloe suggested, but the amateur artist was still no satisfied. Chloe dropped the sketchpad, walked up to her on the couch and gently took her arm. Just as she was about to help her to position it the right way, she paused, gazing deeply into her eyes.

Her lips slightly parted, Chloe breathed out a sigh, before gently taking hold of Lucy’s jaw, planting her lips onto hers. They felt so soft, yet full of force. The first lady was a wonderful kisser, Lucy realised, melting instantly at the sensation. The prime minister sure was a lucky man.

Chloe finally pulled back, her own lipstick smudged from the intensity of the kiss. She beamed. “Monsieur Macron was right.” She said tenderly, “You _are_ delicious.”

“I…” Lucy was struggling to articulate her words; “I didn’t know you thought of me in _that_ way, Chloe.”

“I have always thought that way of you, Lucinda.” Chloe replied, tracing her hand against her cheek. “I was so thrilled when you came to my auction. I have always admired you. I even watched your TED Talk. You have the confidence and power of a woman I have always aspired to be.” Chloe took hold of Lucy’s wrist, guiding her hand towards the buttons of her dress. “I desperately want you, I was so close to kissing you on the tram.” She admitted breathlessly, “Would you do me the honours?”

“Why…certainly…” Lucy felt touched at the younger woman’s glowing admiration for her. She undid her dress as requested, her eyes wandering at the woman’s perky breasts that bound by a white bra. Chloe took it off with a flourish, removing the panties and tossing them aside. Skin on skin, the two kissed more passionately this time, tongues intertwining. It felt so good, feeling the other woman’s breasts against her own. It was a similar position to what she was in when on the tram, yet naked it felt so much more natural.

“Mmm…” Chloe moaned in between kisses, “You make me so wet, Lucinda. There’s nothing that turns me on than a powerful woman.”

Lucy felt her cheeks grow hot as she said this. _No, she must be lying_. Lucy told herself. She moved her fingers downwards, although sensing her doubts, Chloe took hold of her wrist, guiding between her thighs.

“God, you’re soaking wet.” Lucy exclaimed in surprise, unable to fathom the moisture on her fingers. Gently, she rubbed against the other woman’s clit, causing her to moan in pleasure.

Arousal heightened, Chloe immediately took hold of the other woman’s breasts, running her tongue against each hardened nipple in turn. Lucy shivered with delight, feeling herself getting wetter as the first lady continued to fondle them. A moan escaped her lips as Chloe began to suck her nipple, squeezing her other breast gently as she did so. Lucy began to insert her fingers into the opening. Chloe gasped, clearly enjoying the sensation.

“You like that do you?” Lucy whispered in Chloe’s ear with a smile.  
  
“Yes…yes…” Chloe panted, “Harder, please.” She whimpered.

Lucy moved her fingers in and out, gradually picking up speed. Chloe cried out in pleasure as she continued, savouring every penetration. For a split second, Lucy wondered if her husband knew these exact pleasure points as well as she did. Chloe seemed to crave it, opening her legs wider to allow her more access. If she did not know her any better, she seemed starved for intimacy, at least from another woman.

The older woman rubbed against her clit gently, causing Chloe to shake in pleasure. She clung onto Lucy’s breasts, enjoying all of the attention. Finally, she reached her orgasm, her face flushed from so much excitement and satisfaction. She pulled the other woman into an embrace, before the two shared another passionate kiss.

“I really want to taste you,” Chloe whispered, kissing Lucy’s neck.

The former first lady was in no state to argue, for she wanted it just as badly as the younger woman did. She allowed Chloe to continue kissing downwards, slowly from her chest, then to her belly until her lips were finally between her legs. Chloe toyed with her clit with her tongue, her hands clasping against her thighs, as she tasted her.

“Ah…” Lucy moaned, her thighs shaking as Chloe continued to pleasure her. “Don’t stop.”

Chloe continued obediently, her tongue quickening its motions. Not once, did she stop. Lucy lay back on the cushion, grabbing hold of the upholstery of the couch as she felt herself about to climax.

“C-Clothilde…” Lucy stammered, knowing full well what was about to happen. She gave cry as she finally came.

The two embraced, the fine blonde hair of the other woman tickling against her face as she kissed her on the mouth, albeit more softly this time.

“Come lie down on my bed.” Chloe pleaded as Lucy gently moved her hair away from her face.

Lucy lay down on the bed as Chloe finally put Lucy’s dress and tights into the wash. When she returned, she got under the covers with Lucy. The two kissed a few more times, toying with each other until they were exhausted.

“When did Bill say he was coming back?” Lucy asked the younger woman, who was lying on her side facing her.

“I’m not sure. He said he would be a while because he was desperate to see Angela Lansbury in the flesh. We’ll have a few more moments between ourselves.”

As she looked into those kind, beautiful eyes she felt the strong exterior she had stubbornly built for herself crumble in an instant. She turned away from her lover, suddenly feeling sad.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Chloe asked, sensing there was something not quite right.

“I’m fine.” Lucy lied, her voice shaky.

Chloe instantly took hold of her shoulders, pulling her onto her back. She climbed on top of her, pinning her to the bed. “Tell me, Lucinda. Woman to woman.”

“I-I just…next to you I look like mutton dressed as lamb.” Lucy admitted sadly. It was the first time she had admitted her insecurity to anyone.

Chloe was outraged, “You do not!” She exclaimed. But seeing the other woman’s lip tremble, she delicately removed the glasses from her face. Without her glasses, there was a better view of her face.

“You are beautiful.” The first lady said, beaming at the face before her. She ran her hands against her hair with such tenderness that Lucy was sure was sincere. She did not realise the other woman’s hazel eyes before, but upon finally seeing her face properly, they were dazzling and full of a fierce determination that she found unquestionably attractive. “Pretty as a picture.”

As soon as she said that, Lucy grabbed the other woman’s shoulders, pulling her down into another kiss. They lay in each other’s arms for a while, completely relaxed in each other’s company. Suddenly, they heard someone unlocking the door.

The two women jumped out of bed, quickly putting on their clothes. They assisted in straightening each other’s outfits to make sure that nothing had been going on. Then, fully dressed, the two came into the lounge, where both Malcolm and Bill came in.

“Lucy! What are you doing here?” Her husband asked in surprise.

“I could say the same thing about you.” Lucy chuckled, “One of my dresses got stained at the soup kitchen and Chloe took me here to change.”

“Oh, I never did like soup kitchens…” Malcolm began to say, but seeing as they were in the Shortens’ house, he immediately stopped. The last thing either of the couples wanted was a political debate. “Ah, we should be going. Thank you for your hospitality, Chloe.” He grinned at Bill in turn, before taking his wife’s hand.

“Come again to Melbourne soon!” Chloe insisted, draping her arm over Bill’s shoulders.  
  
“Oh we will.” Lucy responded with a smile. It was a secretive smile that only the two women could read.

_We will._

**Epilogue**

Back in the comfort of the Point Piper mansion, Lucy was scrolling through her phone. Given all that had happened these past couple of days, she was struggling to go to sleep. There was still so much to process, and although she realised her feelings for the first lady, she still felt conflicted. At about three ‘o clock in the morning, she found herself going onto Instagram where she saw a post that she did not expect.

It was a candid photograph taken of the former first lady serving soup to one of the homeless people. To her surprise, it was not an unflattering photo, and she seemed to look like she was having a more enjoyable time than what she felt while she was there. Lucy had no recollection of the photo ever being taken, but her heart fluttered at the caption beneath.

_Serving soup with one of my closest friends and idols: Lucy Turnbull. Beautiful both inside and out. x_

The older woman sighed, smiling at the photo. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, for she had no longer felt any jealousy towards this other woman. It was this admiration that she had always looked for and finally received.

**Author's Note:**

> *Footnotes for explanations:
> 
> Incinerator Gallery: This is a real gallery in Melbourne that Chloe Shorten is a patron. Although the location is real, the auction and all of the people within it are all from my imagination. 
> 
> Vinnies CEO Sleepout: This was in reference to an actual event where ACT’s top business and community leaders slept outside in Canberra in order to raise money for homelessness. Malcolm Turnbull had participated in this event back when he was communications minister. You can read all about it in the link below. 
> 
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-20/malcolm-turnbull-at-ceo-sleepout/5537934
> 
> “Lucy looked down at the bottle of wine Malcolm was holding in his hands from their last-minute trip to Dan Murphy’s on the way.”: While this was loosely based off a real event where the former prime minister had given Shorten a bottle of wine, there was a bit of an exaggeration for comedic effect. The wine really cost seventeen dollars, although it was on the specials list at Dan Murphy’s. See the link below about the real event. 
> 
> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8010811/Malcolm-Turnbull-hosted-Bill-Shorten-dinner-served-17-bottle-wine.html


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